Housing Authority gets initial input on potential tax proposal

Online

Milner  Some of the city’s staunchest advocates for affordable housing acknowledged Thursday there are significant challenges to asking voters next year to support a tax for the Yampa Valley Housing Authority.

“I don’t believe that the community, in its heart of hearts, believes that there’s a need,” Bud Romberg said.

Romberg was an inaugural board member of the Housing Auth­­ority in 2004 and long has been involved in the development of affordable housing in the area. He was referring Thursday to his perception of the community’s appetite for paying an increased tax to support those efforts.

Romberg did not question the need. He equated Steamboat Springs’ ability to provide affordable housing to whether residents want to live alongside their co-workers or live next to vacant second homes.

“This whole issue is a question of community character,” Romberg said.

The Housing Authority’s board of directors invited several people involved in local housing, human services, governance, community groups and others to the Routt County Court­­house on Thursday for a wide-ranging discussion exploring the possibility of asking voters to support the cash-strapped organization.

Asset and program manager Mary Alice Page-Allen has operated as the Housing Authority’s sole full-time staffer since the end of 2008, when the organization reduced its duties essentially to managing existing properties amid financial shortfalls.

“We are seriously considering putting something on the ballot for a dedicated funding source in 2011,” said Nancy Stahoviak, Hous­ing Authority board member and a Routt County commissioner.

She said the tax could come in the form of a sales tax of 1 percent or less, or a property tax of five mills or fewer. An impact fee could be combined with either of those.

The multi-jurisdictional Hous­­ing Authority has a 12-member board of directors and operators under intergovernmental agreements with Steam­­boat Springs and Routt Coun­­ty, both of which contribute annual funds. The Housing Authority’s governmental nature allows it to place an issue on the ballot, but not to run a campaign.

Stahoviak said she hoped many of those in the room Thursday would serve on a citizens’ advisory group to help gauge what goals the Housing Authority should set, how to fund those goals and exactly what type and amount of tax would be needed. That work would form the first steps toward a structured campaign next year.

That advisory group, Stah­oviak suggested, could then form a campaign committee separate from the Housing Authority. That committee could need significant public outreach efforts.

“It’s going to be a real steep climb to look at any kind of property tax in 2011,” Steamboat Springs City Councilman Jon Quinn said.

Quinn said a tax measure with a sunset, and tied to a specific project, could have a better chance of winning approval from voters than an open-ended request. Former Housing Auth­ority board member Tony Seaver seconded that idea, and mentioned potential development of the Housing Authority’s vacant parcel near the intersection of U.S. Highway 40 and Routt County Road 129.

“I think people respond more positively if they have specific projects in front of them,” Seaver said.

But he noted that a short-term funding source would not provide long-term revenue for the Housing Authority.

“That might mean that (a tax measure) is not, first time out of the box, the ultimate solution,” Seaver said. “It might just mean a stop-gap.”

Stahoviak and current Hous­ing Authority board member John Spezia pointed out that in the final report for Vision 2030 published in April 2009, providing “a dedicated, ongoing funding source” for affordable housing initiatives received very strong support from survey respondents.

Comments

The big regional issue with affordable housing is that SB folks think it means affordable ownership in SB and everyone else that has found what they can afford in Stagecoach, Hayden, Craig and so on sees it as a SB lottery to benefit some SB resident that held off on buying.

Routt County/SB is also different than most other mountain resort cities in that we have lots of privately owned developable land within 25 miles of SB. Hayden and Stagecoach have the capacity to grow significantly.

And SB City destroyed public trust in affordable housing by the Iron Horse debacle.

The tax could come in the form of a sales tax of 1 percent or less, or a property tax of five mills or fewer? An impact fee could be combined with either of those? Not a chance in hell. Bring on the ballot question.

In recent times, we thought that we were awash in money and the party would never end. Many rushed into investments to reap the harvest and the feeding frenzy was on. In the process the social engineers took advantage of the crisis, and proceeded to milk the situation and praise themselves for their foresight. We ended up with many Iron Horses and white elephants, including taking on the burden of affordable housing. I think wisdom could see the unnecesary burden this would impose.
Much of this was at the insistence of the no growth crowd, but actually fueled growth by providing workers for more expansion. Capitalism is not perfect but it has wisdom far beyond the masters of unintended consequences. It semed that everyone was doing it and wannabee leaders and beaurecrats followed the pack spending the money of others. This mirrors the national scene that has our economy on life support. I, for one will not vote to spend my money on this feel good extravagance.

What politician would dare to speak against affordable housing? The Community Alliance has used this "feel good" program as a political tool to advance their ends. Elected representatives use it to shake down the private sector showing that we chose wisely in selecting them. Now we are being asked to provide sustainability to social enginering that we never could afford, Iron Horse etc. This is meat and taters time, let the proponents of this folly volunteer to be taxed and not drag us in.